Ann Taylor Mastercard® Review
The Ann Taylor Mastercard® is a no annual fee retail credit card from Ann Taylor and credit card issuer Comenity Bank. The card, which operates on the Mastercard payment network, offers two signup bonuses: earn $20 when you make a purchase outside of Ann Taylor (easily achievable, a plus for this card) and 15% off your first Ann Taylor purchase (slightly below average compared to the first-purchase discounts of retail cards). Those who shop at Ann Taylor several times a year will find the Ann Taylor Mastercard® to be an easy way to increase their savings at checkout.
Maximizing Rewards with the Ann Taylor Credit Card
The simplest way to earn more rewards with Ann Taylor is by shopping as much as possible with the brand – but that’s not a realistic way to accomplish much (beyond spiraling debt if you aren’t careful). Instead, the easiest way to maximize rewards is by applying for one of the brand’s credit card products.
The primary strength of the Ann Taylor Mastercard is that cardholders can earn points in the highest rewards category in multiple ways. The card will earn 5X points for every dollar spent at Ann Taylor (in-store and online) and all other affiliated LOFTs, essentially tripling the earning potential. Ann Taylor-affiliated brands include Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor Factory Stores, LOFT (in-store and online), LOFT Outlets, and Lou & Grey (in-store and online).
The Anne Taylor card also offers 2X points on gas and groceries and 1X points for everything else. Could you use the Ann Taylor card as your primary gas and grocery rewards card? Yes, but it might only benefit those whose credit scores can’t get them a more lucrative rewards card or who are comfortable trading cash back rewards for store-specific discounts. Typically, retail cards only provide value when they’re being used at the store of the cards’ namesake.
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Ann Taylor Store Card
The Ann Taylor Mastercard is only one Comenity and Ann Taylor credit card option. Applying for the Ann Taylor Mastercard also applies to the store card version of the card, the Ann Taylor ALL Rewards Credit Card – also from Comenity.
The biggest difference between the two cards is their ability to use them anywhere. The Mastercard version of the card can be used anywhere the Mastercard network is accepted worldwide. In contrast, the store card version is what is known as a “closed loop” store card, meaning that it is only good for purchases at Ann Taylor locations or at AnnTaylor.com.
This difference means reduced rewards for Ann Taylor store cardholders. Sure, they’ll still receive 5X on Ann Taylor purchases, but they miss out on bonus points for gas, groceries, and all other purchases made outside of Ann Taylor.
The Ann Taylor store card does have some benefits, however. These include the same great Ann Taylor rebates, savings, and slightly lower credit requirements than the Ann Taylor Mastercard. This benefit is slightly limited by the online pre-qualification Comenity provides. This, in turn, reduces any fears of a wasted hard inquiry (or impact on your credit report) and failed application in the same go.
Redeeming Ann Taylor Points
Ann Taylor Rewards have a value of one cent per point, meaning 1,000 points will earn you $10 in rewards value. Points have a single redemption option in the form of reward certificates up to $25 that are used towards the final price at checkout, with the minimal number of points needed for redemption being 500 (a $5 reward) and the maximum number of rewards that can be used towards a single transaction being four. Unused points expire 12 months after they are earned, and reward certificates expire after 90 days.
Ann Taylor Rewards Elite Tiers
The Ann Taylor credit cards offer exceptional value for fans of Ann Taylor and assorted brands. But even more value is available depending on your elite tier status within the program. Here are the two tiers, with the only major difference between the levels for Ann Taylor cardholders being the birthday rewards:
| Insider | VIP | |
|---|---|---|
| Required spend | Up to $499 | $500+ |
| Points at Ann Taylor w/ card | 5X | 5X |
| Birthday reward | $15 | $20 |
| Free shipping | On orders of $75+ | On orders of $75+ |
In addition to those points and bonuses, both elite tiers enjoy the same previously mentioned welcome offer: Earn a $20 reward to use at our brands when youmake a qualifying purchase within 60 days of opening your card. Rewards members enjoy two double point days and will score Ann Taylor credit cardholders a whopping 10X points per dollar.
Mastercard Benefits
The Ann Taylor Mastercard® Credit Card also offers the benefits and protections that come from a Mastercard product. These features include:
| Zero Liability Protection | Mastercard Global Services | ID Theft Protection |
Comenity (Bread) Ratings
How do Breads Financial and Comenity stack-up as a bank and credit card issuer? Here is a selection of expert and consumer ratings for the bank:
| BestCards | Better Business Bureau | TrustPilot |
| 2.5/5 | N/A | 1/5 |
Should You Apply for the Ann Taylor Mastercard?
Overall, the Ann Taylor Mastercard is a strong option for customers who shop at the retailer (and its affiliated stores) at least once every three months. Ann Taylor shoppers will earn points twice as fast as regular reward program members and frequently find themselves with $5 rewards. The added benefit of $50 in savings for free standard shipping on purchases over $75 (regularly a minimum of $125) and 15% Tuesday, where they’ll get an extra discount on the first Tuesday of every month, is the icing on the cake.
However, because of the high APR, only those who are certain that they can pay off their monthly balance in full should apply. If you’re interested in rewards for department stores but want the flexibility of cash-back rewards and APR, that’s a bit more.
